


Princess and The Spiked Slippers

by Lisathefan



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Cinderella AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, PrinceBrute because why not?, Some Greens because yesss, This is a reupload so hahaha forgot some tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28277994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisathefan/pseuds/Lisathefan
Summary: A PrinceBrute Cinderella AU 🥰✨
Relationships: Butch/Buttercup Utonium, Princess Morbucks/Brute Plutonium
Kudos: 3





	1. A Princess without a crown

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is a reupload because my DUMBASS deleted it smh so yeah

_ “To become a queen you have to give up playing the princess.”  _

_ -E.Peterson _

A long time ago in a kingdom far away, there lived a girl named… Princess. It was a strange name for a girl such as herself, even the fellow townsfolk didn’t know what to make of it, but Princess never mind. Her mother loved the name dearly, it was probably because her name was Queenie and wanted to name her daughter something similar to that. _Her little princess…_ Kingston, Princess’s dad, was also fond of the name, but did find a regular name afterwards. Elizabeth was the name, and was used often for her. Even if they weren’t that rich or wealthy they still consider themselves royalty at heart. Princess would dream of becoming a princess someday and what it could feel like. But those warm times didn’t last too long

Princess’s mom passed away when she was still young, and it changed her forever. Her father fell into a pit of despair and depression. All that Princess could do was watch the sorrow and sadness that he was enduring. She noticed the change in his mood as well as the atmosphere of the house as a whole. Princess was coping in her own ways, crying silently to herself and praying for her mom to be in a better place. She missed her dearly, but one thing that Princess always remembers was when her mom said:  _ “even if your name is a princess you’ll always be a queen in my eyes. You’ll grow up into something beautiful that everyone will praise, never forget about your value and kind heart.”  _ She gave Princess a paper crown that she stored in a small box along with a few other items.

Kingston remarried. not because he wanted to, but because he wanted Princess to have a proper family. He married Sedusa, a stunning woman at first sight. Her black long curls complemented her freckles, and her red lips and mint green eyes looked phenomenal on her, but in truth… she was a wicked woman, which Princess would find out much later on. She was accompanied by her daughters, Robin and Julie, who were equally nasty and obnoxious towards everyone. Princess didn’t like them at all, getting her hair pulled and being pushed around like a toy wasn’t fun. Those cruel looks that her stepmother gave her as she was getting beaten and bruised. Princess hated it all, but the worst thing was the name change. Instead of calling her Princess, or even Elizabeth, they called her “Cinderella.” The “Cinder” part stood for cinders and ashes, they practically wanted her to burn.

Princess was still a brat, pretty sassy, and even rude at times, but even if she was, she was never this cruel. She tried bringing it up to her father, but it was no use. Princess was no longer a top priority and most of her behaviour changed. She wished that her father never remarried in the first place, but she saw how happy he was, how he was smiling more and his once gloomy mood vanished. She went through all of this just for her father, and she was fine with it. As long as her father was happy, she was happy.

But on one fateful day, Kingston has to go out of town for a trip that Sedusa had planned. Princess was very suspicious and begged him not to go, but her efforts failed and he left. He didn’t come back after that…. and Sedusa confirmed that he was never coming back.

Princess was once again heartbroken and was stuck with her wicked family. Her mother was dead, her father went missing and was most likely never coming back. She was alone. Each day worsened, her “sisters” tortured and toyed with her more, she was made to do chores and clean the house. Of course, she still fought back, but there was only so much she could do before that dreaded stepmother of hers intervened. Her treatment was terrible, but she had to endure it, taking it all in. Princess would work non stop, practically never getting a chance to breathe. Her stepmother was much worse, and was very bitter towards Princess, limiting her freedoms and desires for anything outside of housework. Sedusa was wealthy and liked to buy her daughter's clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc., but she treated Princess poorly, giving her a very tiny room, barely any clothes, and only interacted with her if it was chore related...or punishment related.

Princess was miserable… and yet, she still dreamed of becoming a queen. She could still hope and try and think of the life that she could’ve had.

* * *

Princess twirled around her room, a broom in hand as she danced around humming to herself. She used to dance and sing with her mother all those years ago, but noticed she’d stopped after her new family showed up. Princess started to do it again to feel like the little kid that she used to be, no doubts no worries, everything was perfect. Princess had to face the hard truth: that was never going to happen. She started to dance some more, her red curls bouncing with her. Her mother always sang that song to her, she missed her voice, those memories…. She could feel a tear roll down her cheek as she suddenly came to a stop. She cried quietly, all alone in that small hollow room.

“CINDERELLA!!!”

Princess was startled and stumbled, colliding with the wooden floor below her. She let out a groan and got herself back up. “I guess the witches have awoken,” she muttered under her breath. She got a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her red curls. Even if Princess was “poor” she was still going to look fashionable in her own way. She looked back at her fallen broom and rolled her eyes. “If my dad was still around I wouldn’t have been a maid for their enjoyment,” she spat. She really hated her treatment, and her bratty, “princess-like” behaviour was becoming worse. 

Princess opened her door, leaving her somewhat of a paradise behind her. She was entering the darkness and just wanted to stay for a bit longer, but she knew that she “sisters” would bitch and moan about her. She left the room, her feet echoing throughout the dark halls. Her once pretty family portraits were replaced with ones of her stepmother and sisters, the decor and furniture changed, her home changed. 

She finally made it to the kitchen where Robin and Julie were sitting, gossiping about god knows what. As soon as they saw Princess, however…. 

“Where have you been?” Robin pouted. 

“Yea, we’re starvingggg,” Julie whined.

Princess put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “You're lucky that I’m still under this roof, if I wasn’t here you rats would starve.” Julie and Robin gasped at her words, but Princess was occupied with her smug satisfaction, as she started to prepare breakfast. They talked, even more when she started cooking, it was annoying. They were complete chatterboxes that would only shut up when told by their mother or when they heard some news that was going around.

Princess finished up, placing their breakfast in front of them. “Eat up you pigs!” Princess smiled, carrying the tray of food that she needed to give to her stepmother. Julie stuck out her tongue, while Robin tried to trip her, but Princess caught herself easily. Her sisters were furious and didn’t know how she could deflect their attacks so easily, but Princess knew why, _she was_ named princess for a reason. As Princess turned to leave the kitchen, she flipped both of them off. She could hear cursing coming from the back, it just made her laugh and gave her more satisfaction than she already had.

She made her way down the dark halls once again. Sedusa’s room came into view and Princess took a little gulp. She wasn’t scared of Sedusa, but she did find her intimidating. This is the same woman who made her father disappear, she could easily do the same thing to Princess. She opened the door slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible.

“Stepmother I brought you break-“

“You're  _ late.” _

  
Princess took a step back, as Sedusa int eyes glared up at her. She wasn’t pleased, and there was a part of Princess telling her to get out of this situation, but she couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry-“ Princess was cut off.

“Cinderella we’ve talked about this…”

Princess let out a huff of frustration, keeping herself from rolling her eyes. “It’s  _ Princess _ , or  _ Elizabeth,  _ not  Cinderella.” She gave Sedusa a fake smile which made the woman’s face twitch slightly.

“I don’t  _ care _ ,” Sedusa said flatly. “You’re only a servant girl, someone who cleans the house and works, why would I want to remember your name for goodness sake!” 

Princess’s face fell as she felt her heart drop. “Well… I mean… I am technically still one of your daughters,” she whispered. Sedusa let out a spine chilling laugh and cupped Princess’s chin.

“Oh dear… you’re no daughter of mine in my eyes, all I see is a dirty girl that I had to keep. I could have gotten rid of you,  _ be grateful.”  _

Princess said nothing, she only looked at the grin on Sedusa’s face. 

“Please don’t be late again, and while you're at it, stop talking  _ back _ ,” she hissed.“Unless you want your insolence to be punished.”

Princess placed the breakfast on her lap and left the room in silence. When she closed the door behind her she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away, bet they kept coming. Her confidence moments ago had vanished, and she was left confused and lonely. Princess cried out in the dark empty halls, her brain never forgetting those cruel words. She wished that things were different, that she would just disappear. Maybe Sedusa was right.,

She was useless.

* * *

  
The next morning, Princess was busy with chores as per usual. No one helped her out, her sisters were either arguing, talking loudly or making Princess’s job harder. Sedusa, who was usually in and out of her room, was seen in the kitchen, quietly drinking her tea. Princess was running everywhere, not even catching a break. She wasn’t looking where she was going, and Robin took advantage of that by tripping her while she was running, laundry still in hand. 

Princess fell, the laundry scattered everywhere and her sisters barked out a laugh. “Oops, sorry, did I trip you?” Robin pouted while Juile just giggled. Princess straightened herself out and started to pick up the clothes.

“You clearly stuck out your foot on the purpose you donkey!” Princess waved a cloth in her face, making her sneeze.

“Watch it, our mother is down here and we have no problem telling her about what you're doing!” Julie looked at Robin smugly then looked back at Princess, she just rolled your eyes.

“What are you 5? I’m going to tell mom on youuu~! Listen, _ I don’t care.  _ Tell her all you want, you’ll always keep being the squeaky little mouse that you both are.” Princess turned away, leaving her immature sisters behind.

Princess was halfway through her chores when there was a knock on the door. 

“Robin, Juile, get the door I’m busy!” She shouted.

“Excuse me? YOU OPEN IT!” Robin yelled back 

“Robin get off your lazy ass and-“ 

“Princess, stop arguing with your sisters and 

answer the door,” Sedusa said coldly.

Princess blew one of her red curls out from her face and made her way to the door. She muttered curses under her breath, she really did do everything around here. 

She opened the door to meet a man. He was from the palace, from the look of his clothes to the symbols on the scroll that he was holding. The man cleared his throat and rolled out the scroll.

“A big ball will be held at the palace in honour of the prince, and all the girls eligible for marriage are invited!” Princess gasped, she had dreamed of this moment, and it was finally happening.

But her sisters pushed her to the side along with their mother. They talked about the ball some more with the man and apparently it was going to be held tonight. That didn’t give Princess enough time to prepare but she could work through it. When the man left the house erupted into chaos. Robin and Julie were screaming their heads off about meeting the prince and going to the ball, she still had all the chores. Sedusa gave her lots of chores to do which was probably going to take all day, and yet, Princess was fine with it. She was finally going to go to an actual ball! She was going to meet the prince, fall in love with him, then get married and become an actual princess…  _ it was going to be a dream come true. _

She danced around her room, imagining  the night play out. The prince and her gliding around on the ballroom floor, moving in sync with the music, it was a dream come true. 

But, Princess didn’t know how much of her dream would become a reality.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Dreams That Slipped through my Fingers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my betas: MeL, Avesthetea and Bananawrites

_ “Sometimes memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheek” _

_ -Andrew _

_ Another quote  _

_ “A sad soul is always up past midnight” _

  
  


“CINDERELLA!”

That high pitched scream echoed throughout the halls and made Princess’s ears ring in pain. 

Ever since the ball was announced, Princess’s siblings and mother had hassled her around even more than she was regularly. She couldn’t catch a break, every second there was just more and more work to be done. Princess knew that she couldn’t drop dead; heaven only knows what her stepsisters and mother would do if that happened.

Throbbing pain from her head to her feet became unbearable as the thought of just standing made her head spin. Her hands were bruised and cut up from scrubbing things in ice cold water and polishing worn out shoes... it was a nightmare for her. Yet whenever she even dared to close her eyes, she was just too weak to cry, and all she could do was lean against a wall as she looked at nothing.

She glanced at the clock, the light ticking noises never leaving her head to rest. It had been hours since that ball was announced and Princess hadn’t even slept, the number of chores and suffering that she endured was keeping her eyes from even closing. It was an internal battle that Princess wanted to end, and it would soon enough. So, as she remembered that promise her stepmother gave her, a thin smile appeared on her tired face.

~

“I can’t believe this! I’m actually going to a ball!” Princess squealed in excitement. 

She had been locked in the hell hole which was her own house for years. Yes, she occasionally went out to town and around her area in general, but she’d never been to a ball before, let alone even dream about being in the same room with hundreds of people, plus royalty. It was a dream come true, a dream that would become a reality soon enough if Princess got the chance to live it.

Her mind had dreamed about being a royal for so long that she’d forgotten that most of her life was not going to be in the palace. All Princess wanted to do nowadays was to get out… and this was a great opportunity to do so. It filled her somewhat empty chest with a bit of glee and her face brightened. But as Princess looked at her sisters, they had the complete opposite opinion on the matter.

Her sisters looked at each other and started to burst out laughing. “Her dancing with the prince?” Julie laughed, 

“‘I would be honoured your highness, would you mind holding my broom?’” Robin replied.

They danced around, hardly containing their laughter at Princess’s statement. In Princess’s words, donkeys did know how to dance when it was convenient. They would get a taste of their own medicine soon.

Princess scoffed, “Well, why not? After all, I’m still part of the family, and it says by royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend.” Princess was determined to go to this ball and out of this house in any way possible, even if it meant risking a few things.

Sedusa glared at the page in disgust. “Yes, well it does say that.”

A long pause followed as Sedusa pondered her options. The woman let out a warm smile which sent shivers down Princess’s spine, the change in mood was abnormal and Princess knew that. 

“Well, I see no reason why you can’t go.”

Her sisters gasped in shock as Princess’s heart jumped with excitement. She was finally going to go, and shove it to her sisters that a girl who wore rags could easily look as good as one wearing gold and jewels. 

“If you finish all your chores and-“

  
“Oh I  _ will, I promise !” _ Princess giggled, rushing to the door.

“And if you find something suitable to wear-“

“I’m sure I can! Oh, thank you Stepmother!” Princess curtsied and then left the room in a rush. There was so much to do and yet Princess just wanted to get everything over with to live out a fantasy that she could finally accomplish, and with the extra bounce in her step, she was able to finish her chores with a little more joy. She danced around the halls as her “to-do list” was finally at the back of her head just for a moment. 

Princess’s chest felt warmer as the room did as well, giggles suddenly couldn’t stop coming out from her mouth, and her smile started to make her face hurt. But it didn’t matter. Her happiness overcame the pain and the excitement she felt was overwhelming. 

But her sisters on the other hand didn’t feel the same, they were furious.

“Mother, do you realize what you just said!” Julie whined.

Sedusa smirked and played with the paper in her hands. “Of course, I said _ ‘if’ _ .”

Robin and Julie smirked at each other and giggled wickedly.

“Oh,  _ ‘if’ _ .”

* * *

Princess kept that promise in mind as she went to attend to her sisters. Yes, it was torture, but it was for a prize that she needed to win; an escape and some kind of euphoria. It didn’t matter how rude they were or how rash they could be, most of the time Princess could handle them just fine. But in times like these, Princess was getting crushed by her own tower.

Princess, with a deep hatred for her sisters, her stepmother, and what was to become of her life, swallowed her dignity and walked into those donkeys' rooms.

“What do you want?” Princess spat.

The two girls looked at each other and smiled. 

“Well our shoes need to be polished and hair fixed.” Julie waved her shoes and hair indicating the two tasks. 

“Our dresses need to be ironed and cleaned, and our faces pampered to perfection~.” Robin cooed.

Princess rubbed her temples in annoyance. Princess needed a break from these two, especially when they act and talk like this. “Anything else tweedle dee and tweedle dumb?” 

Her sisters thought of more things to keep Princess occupied, but it was no use. Princess smirked at the lack of brainpower these two had, it was funny to her; they wanted to drag her down but couldn’t even think of how to do it.

“Well…. I’m going to see if Stepmother needs anything.” Princess walked out, leaving her stepsisters to bicker behind. 

When Princess was out of the room and walked quickly down the halls, she let out a laugh. They were trying to overwhelm her with work so she couldn’t go to the ball with them. They gave Princess work every day, and she always manages to finish, but this amount of work was abnormal especially for her, she was a human being, not a machine, and yet they always treated her like one. Princess glared at the door with envy, if they thought that some work and backtalk was going to bring her down, they all had another thing coming to them.

“Stepmother?” 

Sedusa looked up from her book and gave Princess a crooked smile. “Yes?” 

“Do you need anything?”

Sedusa scoffed, “What I need is for you to start those chores before I change my mind about you even going to the ball.”

She couldn’t even if she wanted to. Sedusa may have been Princess’s stepmother, but she could never take away her determination and how she could get out of this dreadful situation. Princess knew that they had so much power over her, too much, but a few gates were still open for her, and she was going to try all of them.

Princess shifted her focus back into her tasks. General cleaning, preparation for the ball, cooking and caretaking to some animals… there was a lot, but Princess had to take a deep breath and deal with it. Soon it would all be over, and it would be a victory in her book if she could get out of this hell hole that had become her life. 

* * *

It was hard to see in the pitch-black halls in the house. In the morning, it was still intimidating, but at night, it didn’t even look like a house. The darkness of the night practically consumed everything in sight, leaving only the light from the oil lamps alive. Was it silly of Princess to compare herself to a lamp? Yes, but it felt as if it was the only way it made sense. She seemed to always be consumed by the darkness, as if one day there may be nothing but it in the end. 

Princess walked slowly to her room and closed the door. It was so cold, and so damp, but it was the only place she felt slightly comfortable with. She practically collapsed on her bed, kicking off her shoes and tossing her broom to the side. Princess’s face fell into her pillow as her curly red hair covered every trace of her face, it was a mess, but it was a good thing that the tears falling from her face wouldn’t be heard. She laid there and just cried, it felt like she was there for an eternity, but the tears never stopped, the pain never stopped, and the hole in her heart grew and grew. Princess had never felt so worthless in her life before, and it was getting to her, the words, their cruel actions, everything that they did to try and break Princess down was working. She was slowly losing her grip on her throne.

With puffed red cheeks and a sniffle, she rolled herself around and sat up. Princess opened the drawer that was right next to her bed and took out a hand-carved wooden box. She traced the box carefully as it was the only memory she had left of her father. He was really good in the woodworking department and made most, if not all the furniture and assets in the house, and as a birthday gift gave this to Princess. Princess smiled faintly as the letters PKQ were carved on the side, resembling the first initials of each of their names. It’s been too long since she’d touched the box. Maybe it was the guilt of not warning her father more? Or the grief from her mother’s death? Princess didn’t know anymore, it was too much to take in, especially since she was the last Morebucks. But even so, their presence would always be there when she held the box, and she was grateful for this, at least the feelings of them wouldn’t die.

Princess opened the box with care and examined everything in it. She first held out a fake gold necklace with a pearl heart pendant, it had been her mother’s but at an early age, Princess was given it, and treasured it deeply. She used to wear it every day but put it aside for protection. Her stepsisters would surely take it away, claiming that it’s theirs and Princess didn’t want to risk that possibility. So she had hidden it from them for years, and the box with its memories stayed only with Princess, no one else knew and it would stay like that. She put the necklace on, admiring herself from the small smudged up mirror within the box. Her hand held the heart more than it should’ve, her heartbeat seemed to have doubled, not in speed, but in how many beats she heard. It was like her parents' hearts were always with her, and the queen of hearts card that she held up next made her giggle.

“Of course.” She muttered.

Princess used to play cards with them and the queen was always her favourite. It had always had a place in her heart so it was funny to her card at this convenient moment. Those games had always stayed in her mind, so the memories that flooded back to her made the tone of her situation better. 

As Princess kept rummaging through the box admiring all the old items she held dear, the last one made her heart stop… the small paper crown. Some of the paper was ripped and the points of the crown were bent, but you could still make out the item. Her lips trembled as she put the crown on, she looked back at the mirror only to see a young Princess smiling back at her. The little girl made faces and admired herself as a gorgeous woman stood behind her doing her hair. Princess’s mother had always done it, but without her, Princess’s hair was a mess most days, but whenever Princess gave up on it, she’d remember the sweet songs and strong words her mother used to say to her… only god knows why she had to go.

Before she could even think about her memories a bit longer, tears streamed down her freckled face once more. All the happy moments mixed with the sad ones were unbearable, and as her tears fell all her memories did as well. Princess held the paper crown tightly trying to control the choked sobs that were threatening to come out. 

_ “Never forget about your value and kind heart.” _

Princess’s mother’s words rang in her ears, practically as a whisper. It sounded like her mother was talking to her, yet there was only darkness to be seen. The moonlight was only visible, and it cast itself on her mother’s old sewing kit, making it glow. The wash of reality came back to Princess and made her want to cry again, but she controlled herself and walked over to the sewing supplies. The beautiful gowns and dresses her mother had made danced around in her head. 

They all were given to her stepsisters and her other clothes were either thrown out or sold, Princess only had an old faded daffodil coloured dress left, and it wasn’t in really good condition, but it was one of her mother’s unfinished works. Princess had even glossed over the fact that her mother never uncomplicated her goal: to give her family a better life by selling these gorgeous clothes and maybe becoming a fashion designer. But that was only in a dream, a dream where she was still alive, where everything was perfect, and where Princess was in her embrace once more along with her father. 

A single tear fell from her eye as she rubbed the dress in her hand. She looked back and the moonlight bouncing off it was almost blinding. Princess sat down on a nearby stool and looked at the stars, well, her mother had always said that the brightest one was hers, and just seeing them all together made Princess smile hopefully. “Maybe she’s looking down at me,” Princess muttered.

All the pain seemed to numb, as this was the medicine she needed. Comfort from something as simple as a couple of items was more than enough, it was something that she could treasure till her time was up and a scene that she could replay again and again. 

Princess’s body tightened at the thought of what her “family” would do if she saw all of this. But just as that thought entered her mind, it disappeared as another one entered, 

_ ‘What dress would she wear to the ball?’ _

Looking at the dress on her lap and remembering her mother’s words, she spread out the supplies. She was valid and had to remember that. Princess had to show her step-siblings and mother that fact, and if it meant fixing a dress while doing energy-draining tasks, so be it. Princess tied her curly locks into a bun, leaving a few strands to fall freely as she reached for the sewing needle. She carefully started sewing away the holes and loose strands of thread on the worn-out material; the needle had pierced her skin many times but the slight stinging was worth it, even with the small cuts, Princess knew that she had to keep going. No one was going to do this for her, and she was already obligated to get something to wear for the ball. Princess was doing this for herself, her mother, and a part of her demanded validation and kindness that she tried to convert others. 

As the moonlight still cast brightly onto Princess, she continued to sew on in the darkness. The only thing that she heard where the lullabies for mom used to sing to her… they were only a whisper in her mind, but it was the only music she wanted to listen to.

* * *

  
As the days continued, the chores and work did as well. Her mother and sisters lambasted her more and more, and made simple things such as washing the clothes or cooking a difficult task to complete, while her stepmother would frequently give Princess cold glances and “accidentally” trip her when she was in a hustle. Princess’s eyes were much more alert in the morning when most of the chaos would take place, while at night, she stitched away as the moonlight provided her guidance. As the stars became brighter each night, the dress became much better and had a much stronger structure. She was making progress, which was enough to finally finish it before the night of the ball, the loose strings and holes were patched up and tightened, the small designs and faded colours had a sense of brightness and the golden thread had made the dress pop. It was perfect, and Princess did it all by herself. A satisfied grin appeared on her face and she held out the dress.

In the reflection, Princess could see the proud face of her mother. A glint of hope sparkled through her eyes as she set the dress down on a nearby chair. Princess thought of other preparations she needed to do, in secret of course. Her hair, a proper bath and some decent shoes were on her mind, and it was much simpler to start with the first options, then look for shoes later, but she had to do all of this before her stepfamily left the house. With a heavy sigh, Princess took the golden comb from a hidden compartment in her dresser. She hummed to herself as she combed her long curls, her mother still never leaving her mind, it was hard to not think about it, and as she laid the comb on the table, her brain had to remind her of the times that her mother would put her hair into small little buns on each side. Princess’s hair was much better and just decided to keep it down for the time being, but for extra precaution, she put a few bobby pins in there just to make sure her hair doesn’t act up.

Princess could hear voices hollering her name as she took one final glance in the mirror. She hid all the materials that she was previously using and cleaned up her area quickly, she gave her apron a quick brush as she left her room. As she made her way to her step-siblings and mother’s room the air was much damper, and Princess was getting a really bad feeling in her gut, and yet, her legs kept moving. Her body stopped itself when she met the door, it didn’t feel right to her, and her body responded appropriately by stopping. The whispers of the room were harsh, Princess could only make out a few words and none of them were good, a cold sweat formed down her neck as the whispering came to a stop. 

No, this definitely wasn’t right.

Before Princess could even think about running off, she was too late.

“Cinderella, we know you’re out there.”

Princess gulped as giggles could be heard after that comment. She started frantically looking for a way out of this, but the halls stretched out for miles and in her eyes and they would reach nowhere.

“ _ Cinderella _ ,” Sedusa called sharply.

The door flung open to be met with the two twins of evil and the devil herself. Princess thought back to the lamp... how it was the only thing that lit up the night, and it finally faded as Princess was dragged into the room.

* * *

“That hurts!” Robin whined as Princess combed through her long brown locks.

“Well beauty is pain, sweethearts, and there’s nothing that I can do about it,” Princess replied.

When Princess was originally dragged in, she was expecting far worse than what her stepfamily requested. It was simply to get her sisters ready for the ball, when apparently Princess hadn’t done enough for them. Of course, she complied, getting their dresses ironed and shoes polished, all that was left was their hair and makeup which they could do by themselves, but just taking a glance into Sedusa’s mint green eyes showed Princess the motive. Each brush stroke made her stepsisters cry in agony as the other watched in disgust. Sedusa was preparing in the background of all of this and occasionally took a sip and watched the hardship that Princess had to go through with. It was their source of twisted entertainment, but the only difference was that Princess would never be their monkey. As Princess continued applying unnecessary amounts of makeup onto their faces, she thought about what her appearance might be at the ball. It might have been a dumb thought in hindsight, but maybe the prince could see something deeper than an appearance, and take her hand and dance the night away. 

“Hey! Tighten my dress!”

“That’s too much lipstick!”

Her two sisters complained and complained until Princess was finally done. As the two girls were dressed to “perfection,” She felt Sedusa’s eyes lingering on her, and the air seemed thin as her sisters left the room with joy. The slam of the door made Princess jump as her heart started racing. She was met by Sedusa’s mint greens eyes again, only this time they seemed to be much darker, “Princess…” Sedusa muttered coldly, “I’m… quite surprised that you managed to finish.” Princess smiled proudly as her efforts did pay off. It was mear minutes before the ball started and Princess was more than ready for it. 

As Sedusa left the room, Princess was left to clean up and then get herself ready. As she cleaned, a soft hum escaped her lips as she danced around yet again. Princess did have an active imagination and in exciting times like these it seemed to be running wild, the wooden floor simply felt like a dance floor as the curtain light gave her warmth in the once chilled room, her dance lessons that were years ago came into action once again as Princess’s heels pounded rapidly on the wooden floor, and her apron swished around in response. As Princess bowed, she smiled as the room was finished. Her once straightened hair was curly once more, and the stench of sweat reeked off her. I guess her hair was just made to be let loose and the small waves that covered the corners of Princess’s eyes felt natural, but the smell didn’t. She sighed and let out a tired smile. ‘It’s definitely time for a shower.”

As Princess left the ice cold water of her shower, she rushed out to grab her hair brush. She didn’t notice how late it was and Princess was determined to finish. As she brushed her hair she practiced her dancing steps as her body moved towards the dress. Princess placed the brush down and put on the dress, it fit perfectly, and the Gold interior practically shined in Princess’s reflection. The dress was not too fancy but it was enough for her, at least she could twirl in it without stepping on herself, it was one of the many positives of the terrible experiences that she’d lived through. Princess let her feet into some more appropriate shoes, and managed to pull out a rose clip from one of her drawers which was just right for her hair, and she did sneak some makeup and applied some, but she did leave her freckles to pop and her natural rosy lips. But there was still something missing. 

She opened the wooden box and took out the heart necklace. As the pearl pendant fell on her chest, Princess felt complete. If her parents were with her, they’d probably be proud, shower her with compliments and praise her, it was what they would do when she was little, and of course it was all for laughter but Princess’s throat ran dry as she looked back into the mirror. She looked so much like her mother that she couldn’t even bring herself to laugh, instead she clinched the pendant tightly and took a deep breath. Her eyes wandered to her clock, 7:50pm, the ball started at 8:00pm.

Princess took one more glance at her mirror and locked the box away. She placed everything in the way it was and rushed downstairs. She was finally going to go,

Or so she thought.

* * *

  
“I don’t see her.” 

Robin squinted at the empty staircase as Juile stood at her side. “Yeah me either,” she replied. 

Sedusa checked the clock and smirked, it was 7:50 and no Princess. I guess her rude behaviour would be punished by her not going to this ball, and her two daughters would be the center of attention, maybe soon after this Princess could finally be disposed of just like her father was. The thought lingered with Sedusa as she attended to her daughters. 

“Oh well… I guess we’ll have to leave without her.” Sedusa cooed. 

Robin and Julie giggled in response as they picked up their long flowing dresses and slowly walked to the door. A twisted sense of glee filled Sedusa as they were the only ones who would be out of this door, likely for a very long time. “Now, when you’re presented to his highness, you must remember to-“

“Wait!”

Sedusa whipped her head around to see Princess rushing down the stairs. She had a faded golden dress that swished around as Princess made her way down the steps, her hair was a bit more tamed as the light makeup on her face topped off the look. Sedusa had to admit the girl had some form of style, but even if she looked presentable, she wasn’t going to the ball, and Sedusa would make sure of that.

“Please wait for me!” Princess rushed down the final step and twirled her dress, “Do you like it? Do you think it will do?” 

Her stepfamily eyed her in complete shock as Princess just smiled back at them. Robin and Julie gave pleading looks, indicating that they definitely didn’t want her to go, but the light tugs on their mother’s coat made Sedusa think quickly. “ _ Please _ mother she can’t go.” Robin whined, “She can’t!” Julie whispered harshly. 

“Girls, please. After all we did make a bargain.”

Sedusa made her way to Princess’s side. This wasn’t right, and the red flags were going off in her head and Sedusa traced her hand on her necklace. “Hmmm, I haven’t seen this around.”

Sedusa’s emotionless gaze made Princess gulp. This whole situation wasn’t planned for, and Princess just wanted to run out of that door and not look back, but her body wouldn’t move, her stepmother’s hand on her pendant stopped all movement. Her heart went wild as she felt a light tug on the jewellery, and she shut her eyes tightly as she waited for the next action.

A sharp snap was heard, and Princess knew exactly what it was.

Princess’s heart dropped to her stomach as her necklace did. It had cracked on impact. “We don’t little thieves, especially with material like that. I’m not dumb, you took some of  _ our _ supplies.”

That wasn’t exactly a lie, Princess had borrowed some makeup, and the kit didn’t have everything. Again, The kit was old and some of the materials just didn’t function properly, so yes, Princess used some of their supplies. Did she feel guilty? No. They made someone she cherished disappeared so why not make some of their supplies disappear for a better cause? 

“I… I didn’t say that you were stupid I just..” Princess choked, not knowing what words to use as Sedusa clenched her teeth. The woman cleared her throat and whispered something to her daughters that made them grin. The girls made their way to Princess smirking at her. “Well since you're a no good thief and a back talker,” Robin cooed, “we would rather be caught dead than be at the ball with you,” Julie replied. 

They looked at each other, envy in their eyes.

“I guess you won’t be needing that dress.”

Princess’s sanity had already began depleting slowly up to this moment, and it was practically hung by a thread as the once stitched dress was ripped apart. Everything from the shoulders to the ends of the dress were torn apart within seconds, and during all of it, her stepsister’s harsh and degrading words spun around Princess’s head and they said them. The light finally burned out, leaving her so called ashes of her ripped clothing all around her.

Thank god that Princess’s curled hair covered up most of her face so they couldn’t see the small tears falling down her face. She bent down and picked up the pendant as she looked up. Her step-sisters were already out the door, but before Sedusa disappeared into the night she gave her a thin smile and said,

“Goodnight.” Shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Princess didn’t care that she was cold, or that the ground that she was sulking on was worsening the dress condition. She was absolutely done, especially with all her hard work and time being thrown out like trash. Princess didn’t understand their deep hatred for her, or why they had this twisted vision about her, leaving her in the dirt like it was always that which made her worth leaving in the moment. They had done much worse, and yet a thief as simple as makeup with some sewing supply was an ultimate sin. Her head rang painfully as their cruel words fluttered back to her head, but she shook them aside and laid her head back into her arms.

After that whole scene was done, Princess was left in the empty house. It had happened so fast... Princess was still processing everything and in her panic a pitiful sob was threatening to come out, and she definitely didn’t want to cry in the same place her main source of pain began.

Her feet carried her before her brain did. Running past the rooms Princess had spent hours cleaning to perfection, through the hall that would always lead her to the room she’d dreamt in, and finally out the back door to the now cold garden. The moon rained down on the plants around Princess as she dropped down to a stone bench. Princess could see a water droplet fall from a nearby flower as the tears streamed down her face. Her choked sobs filled the night with grief and pain, the tears never stopped coming, and the pain in her chest increased with her puffy red cheeks. At one point, Princess could cry no longer, her throat ran dry, and there were no more tears that could accompany her frazzled state.

The cool air sent chills down her spine and made Princess’s hair blow freely. She looked down into her palm and saw the cracked pendant... it reminded Princess of her own heart; broken and beyond repair. She looked at her tattered dress and saw her mother’s work destroyed by her recklessness. Princess could feel herself start to cry again, and she made sure that her face was out of sight, Princess knew that no one was watching her, but her mother could look down at her from the moon, and that broke Princess more than anything.

She had used her mother’s last materials and items just for them to be damaged. Princess had failed. She failed her mother, her father, and herself. She was such a fool for thinking that any of this would work, that her dreams would actually come true? Princess laughed weakly as the tears kept coming, burning her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. “I, Elizabeth Princess Morebucks have failed you… I’m so sorry mother, father, and whatever family has to see me in this state.” 

She held herself tightly and clenched her teeth. Princess shook violently and more tears came and went... at this point they wouldn’t go away, and she came to realize that. 

Princess laid the broken necklace on the cold stone bench as her head finally rested. Her sore, wet eyes closed as one more tear fell. Princess was definitely never going back to that house, not after today or the days prior. The last words that Princess could say were, “I can’t believe that my dreams couldn’t come true... I’m such a fool.”

  
  
  


“Hmm, are you sure about that? I think otherwise.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think is talking at the end ;)


End file.
